


Steady Acclimation

by UselessLilium (o0whitelily0o)



Series: Age Swap AU [3]
Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Abusive Parents, Age Swap, Alternate Universe, Crushes, Developing Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 16:24:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18479941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o0whitelily0o/pseuds/UselessLilium
Summary: With the U20 fast approaching and Shion and Tokoha with teams of their own already, Chrono doesn't have much of a choice but to find a new team member and hope for the best. But while it can be a challenge getting used to someone new, it can still be well worth the effort.





	Steady Acclimation

Chrono couldn’t help having a few reservations when Shion called announcing he’d scouted a potential teammate for him. Sure, he couldn’t really be picky at this point - especially not with Taiyou feeling Hiroki had enough on his plate adjusting to school again without throwing him into something they didn’t even have a good understanding of yet - but that didn’t mean he wanted to jump at the first available person either.

...Plus, well, Shion had called the guy ‘a fan’. And it wasn’t that Chrono didn’t appreciate all the people who looked up to him for his Vanguard abilities, but they could be kind of intense about it. It’d been over a year, and he still didn’t know how to handle people getting _that_ excited over him. Not to mention it was someone from Shion’s school, of all places... fair or not, his mind kept throwing images at him of a snobby rich kid more interested in playing with someone famous than the game itself.

At least once he actually met Kazumi Onimaru, he was able to toss any concerns of snobbiness aside. When Shion introduced him, the boy stood extremely rigid and immediately stammered out, “C-Chrono Shindou-san... it’s such a honor to meet you.” Then he bowed deeply enough that Chrono might’ve thought it was sarcastic, if the guy didn’t look like he was halfway to panicking. Even Shion raised his eyebrows at that.

“Ah, hey, c’mon,” Chrono said, feeling a little awkward. “You don’t need to go that far.”

Right away, Kazumi said, “Sorry,” and straightened back up, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. My apologies.” He laced his fingers together restlessly, keeping his eyes down towards his hands rather than look at Chrono himself. Chrono tried not to frown, but it was a little discouraging. Even if Kazumi was honest about his interest, if being around him made Kazumi this anxious, they weren’t gonna make a good team.

No, that was giving up too quickly. He’d barely given Kazumi a chance yet. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” he said instead, “Look, let’s try again.” He held out a hand towards Kazumi, and said in as casually as possible, “I’m Chrono Shindou. Nice to meet you.”

Kazumi stilled his fidgeting, long enough that Chrono wondered if maybe he hadn’t heard him right. Then he took a slow breath, and managed to look up at Chrono properly and take his hand in one of his own. He smiled, in a way that reminded Chrono of Shion a little. “Yes, thank you. Kazumi Onimaru - the pleasure is mine.”

Shion spoke up then, easily enough. “Onimaru-kun, you mentioned it’s been a while since you played?”

“Ah, yes,” the other boy said, sounding a little embarrassed. “I’ve been a little... preoccupied lately, so I haven’t had much time.”

“Then why don’t the two of you have a fight?” Shion suggested, with a glint of amusement in his eye. Chrono suppressed the urge to raise an eyebrow at him. “That’s probably the quickest way to see if your skill level is up to par.”

Chrono kind of expected more stammering and uncertainty, but instead a tentative kind of excitement lit in Kazumi’s eyes and he asked, “Would you mind, Shindou-san?”

That look was encouraging. Chrono grinned. “Of course not. He’s right - it’s the best way to get to know each other.”

Chrono had fought fans before, of course. A lot of them. Some got so worked up about facing him that they made basic mistakes over and over, others only seemed interested in his moves and barely paid any attention to their side of the field. From how he’d been acting so far, Chrono did wonder if Kazumi would fall into one of those groups too. But the excitement he’d seen in Kazumi’s eyes hadn’t misled him. Once he had his deck in place and the fight began, it seemed to steady Kazumi, and his confidence grew with each turn. If fighting him reminded Chrono of anyone, it was Luna. Both in the way Kazumi called out to his cards directly, and the vivid, living image he seemed to craft as the turns went on and his strategy unfolded and threatened to ensnare him.

There was no question in Chrono’s mind: Vanguard itself was something important to Kazumi, beyond just whatever admiration he had for Chrono. The affection he had for his deck and cards was unmistakable, as was his talent. Chrono always gave his all in his fights, no matter who he was against, but Kazumi was the first serious challenge from a stranger he’d faced in a while. It took plenty of quick thinking to turn the tables and regain control of the fight.

“I’m sorry,” Kazumi said as he placed his sixth damage down, but he laughed a little as he did so, “I really have gotten rusty after all.”

“No way, don’t apologize. You really did great,” Chrono said, shaking his head, “It can’t have been _that_ long since you played.”

Kazumi smiled, and though it still seemed a little reserved, he seemed much calmer when he spoke now. “Well, I made sure to practice as much as I could on my own. I wanted to at least give you a good fight.”

Chrono laughed. “You definitely did that, don’t worry. It was a lot of fun.”

This time when Kazumi smiled, his whole face lit up. “I’m glad it paid off then.” It was almost like looking at the sun, and seeing him that happy made Chrono realize just how nervous and shy Kazumi must have felt before.

“Well, Chrono,” Shion said, leaning into his field of vision, “It doesn’t sound like you’ve got any complaints.”

“No, I don’t. Anyone’d be lucky to have you on their team, Onimaru.” But his smile did dip a little then. Here came the complicated part. “I mean it - if you want to join with me, then I’m all for it. But there’s something you need to know first.” Kazumi seemed surprised, but straightened and grew serious again right away. There weren’t a lot of people around this part of Dragon Empire, but Chrono lowered his voice some anyway.  “This tournament... I’m not entering it just for fun. A friend of mine is helping to run it, and lately he’s heard some rumors going around, about strong Cardfighters suddenly acting strange or falling off the radar.” Chrono crossed his arms, and held Kazumi’s gaze steadily. “Since there’ll be strong players from all over the world joining, he asked me to enter the U20 to see if I can find anything out about it.”

Kazumi nodded slightly. “I see...”

“I don’t know if anything’s gonna come of it... like I said, it’s all just rumors right now. But if there is a real problem, it could wind up more than you wanted to sign up for.”

“How likely would you say it is that there’s a real problem?” Kazumi asked.

Chrono exchanged glances with Shion, who answered instead, “Our friend’s been able to spot trouble pretty well in the past. If he thinks it’s something worth looking into, there’s a good chance he’s right.”

Kazumi seemed to take a moment to absorb this, and then nodded. “Alright. Then I’d be happy to help you out, with whatever it might turn out to be.”

It was Chrono’s turn to blink at him. That was... a pretty quick decision, without any trace of his earlier nerves. He had to wonder if Kazumi was really thinking about what he was agreeing to. “Are you sure?”, he couldn’t help but ask, “If this turns into something big...”

“Then that’s all the more reason to offer my assistance.” Kazumi looked away a moment, and said, “To be honest, I... probably wouldn’t even be trying to enter something like this if I hadn’t seen your team’s fights. So, if I can repay you all somehow, I’d consider it an honor.”

For a few moments, Chrono just looked at him carefully. Kazumi stood straight and confident, and it didn’t seem like it was just a front, but still... that was a lot to offer without even thinking it over fist. But, in the end, Chrono decided Kazumi knew what he was prepared for better than he did. And maybe if Kazumi felt like he was helping, it’d help him feel more confident around Chrono too. So, finally, he grinned and said, “Alright. If you’re sure, then welcome to the team!”

Immediately, Kazumi’s confidence gave way to relief. “Thank you so much,” he said, putting a hand to his chest and beaming, “I promise, you won’t regret this.”

 

* * *

 

True to his word, Kazumi was a hard-working and dutiful teammate. He came to every group meeting they planned, and when they practiced he’d often wind up asking for multiple rematches to refine his strategies. Taiyou got along with him well, too - hard not to, Chrono guessed, when Kazumi admired so openly how much Taiyou had accomplished already. There was a sincerity to Kazumi, whether it was his courtesy towards his opponents or his interest in his teammates’ lives, that you just couldn’t help but find endearing. Anyone would like him, Chrono bet. All that, _and_ they managed to clear the qualifying tournament at Card Capitol 2 with no problems at all. The U20 didn’t seem intimidating at all with the three of them heading into it together.

So when Kazumi called just a week before the tournament, asking if Chrono wouldn’t mind stopping by his house that weekend so his father could meet his team, Chrono didn’t even have to think before he said, “Yeah, of course!”

“Thank you,” Kazumi said, though there was a distinct thread of anxiety in his voice that wasn’t going away. “But, ah, don’t worry about clearing your whole day. Just a quick visit should be enough.”

Both his tone and words took Chrono aback. “Do you not want us to stay long?”

Kazumi paused, then said, “It isn’t that I don’t want you to, just... I don’t think it’d be a good idea.” He laughed, but it sounded weirdly embarrassed. “I mean, there’s really not much to do or see there. I don’t want to bore you two.”

For a few moments, Chrono let this sink in. He thought carefully about how Kazumi admitted he’d had his deck since childhood, but had still gone without playing at all for so long. How he’d never come to Card Capital 2 on his own, or gone to any tournaments before now. And now this weird hesitance to have anyone come to his house. Definitely some warning bells going off.

“Hey, Onimaru, is there something we should know before going over?”, he asked, firmly, “Anything you want us to do, or help with, or anything like that?”

“That’s...” After a brief silence, Kazumi took a breath, and then said more calmly, “No, it’s nothing. My father’s just a bit... overbearing. I’m pretty sure he just wants to meet you and hear about your qualifications in person. To make sure I’m not making you both up.”

There was still something a little off about Kazumi’s tone, but he didn’t sound like he was going to budge either. And Chrono guessed he’d get to meet this guy soon enough either way. “Okay, I can do that just fine. Have you let Taiyou know yet?”

“I’m going to call him after this.” Another pause, and then finally Chrono could hear relief when Kazumi said, “Thank you, Shindou-kun. And I'm sorry about the inconvenience.”

Chrono softened, and smiled a little when he said, “Don’t worry, I said already said it’s fine. I’ll see you then. G’night.”

“Good night.”

Kazumi sent him the address later. It was far enough that they needed to make a couple of connections by train to get there; apparently a car would’ve been quicker, but while Kazumi had offered to send one to pick them up, it just didn’t sit right with Chrono. If he was right to be cautious towards Kazumi’s family, then how far did that extend? He wanted to talk to Taiyou about what was going on, and if he needed to be careful around the staff too, that’d make it pretty difficult to speak openly. And besides, he didn’t want to have to depend on them for a ride if they weren’t trustworthy.

Taiyou seemed to share some of his worries on the ride over. He’d done a little research on the Onimaru family himself, but even with Shion’s help, everything he found was pretty much public knowledge already. The head of the family - Kazumi’s dad - had been in a few interviews with business magazines, but he kept the topic firmly on work each time. Apparently he preferred to keep family matters private. That might have sounded reasonable, if not for how nervous Kazumi was to invite them over.

“Do you think we should be worried?” Taiyou asked, as the train rattled onwards towards their destination. Chrono crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.

“I don’t know... but we definitely oughta be careful anyway.” He looked out the window. It’s not like he couldn’t imagine more harmless reasons for why Kazumi’d be nervous - maybe he just wasn’t used to inviting people over. Maybe his dad really did just want to keep his family out of the public eye as much as possible. But it just... it all just felt weird.

Taiyou smiled at him. “You look like you’re worrying already though.”

Chrono blinked, and smiled back, kinda sheepish. “Yeah, well,” he started, then just shrugged and didn’t finish. Taiyou seemed to get what he meant anyway.

They made it to the property easily enough. It was hard to miss, with the wall all around it. What was with rich people and giant walls anyway? Chrono grimaced while Taiyou hit the buzzer and announced themselves, and a servant came to greet them and lead them in to the main building. That large wall and expansive property reminded him of his visits to the Kiba estate, but much like Shion and Kazumi themselves, the resemblance between that and the Onimaru property stopped at that surface level.

Everything was so ornate with the Kibas, and the mansion looked like some kind of fancy Western castle. It was ridiculous and way too excessive, but it was bright and almost fairy tale-like. Whereas here, the Onimaru house felt stopped in time. The deeper they were led into the property, the more it looked like nothing had touched the buildings in centuries. It was such a stark difference from the city they’d just walked through, it nearly gave Chrono whiplash. And it was very quiet, and only grew more so the further they walked. Maybe some people found it peaceful, but it just unsettled Chrono. From the look on Taiyou’s face, he wasn’t exactly a fan either.

Fortunately, once they did reach the main building, Kazumi was waiting at the front gate to greet them. It was a little easier to relax once Chrono caught sight of him.

“Thank you both for coming all this way,” he said, smiling in a way that almost seemed natural. But by now, Chrono had seen the way Kazumi looked when he was really enjoying himself, and it wasn’t anything like this careful, restrained expression. “Sorry, I planned to go bring you in myself, but-”

“It’s alright, we’re just glad to be invited,” Taiyou said, with a much more convincing smile of his own.

Chrono nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been kinda looking forward to it.” It was true, even if the reasons why weren’t exactly good. He glanced around and let out a low whistle. “This place is bigger than I thought. More old-fashioned too. Ah- not that that’s a bad thing,” he quickly added when he caught the servant giving him a look.

Kazumi laughed, stiff and quick. “Yes, well, I’m glad you both made it here alright. Thank you for guiding them,” he said, nodding politely at the servant, who perked up at that.

“Of course, it’s always an honor,” she said, bowing in return, “I’ll leave you to introduce them to your father. He’s expecting you shortly.”

“I know.” He smiled, gesturing towards the building further ahead, “Please, follow me.”

Compared to how far they’d come already, it wasn’t a long walk, but once they were inside Chrono found he was already getting antsy. Every now and then he’d hear someone moving or talking behind the sliding doors they passed, and he couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watch. Not helping was how Kazumi didn’t say a word, just quietly led them further into the building. His face seemed a little pale, and there was a focus in his eyes that Chrono couldn’t bring himself to interrupt. It wasn’t until he stopped and opened one of the doors that Kazumi finally broke the silence with, “Father, my teammates are here.”

“Come on in, then.”

The first thing Chrono thought when he finally got a look at Kazumi’s dad was how much the two looked alike. It was obvious even from just a glance. Same long, light hair. Same gold eyes. And he was tall - still taller than Kazumi, but Chrono guessed they’d probably wind up matching in that too before long.

The second thing was the guy’s expression. It was stony and direct, almost suspicious. Like the two of them were some kind of strange animals he was trying to put a name to. It put Chrono’s hackles up right away.

“This is Chrono Shindou, and Taiyou Asakawa,” Kazumi said, in a steady, neutral voice that didn’t sound much like him at all. “They have graciously allowed me to participate alongside them in the U20 tournament this year.”

Onimaru looked at the two of them, and there was definitely no mistaking the critical glint to his eye. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, without sounding particularly gracious, as his gaze dragged over them and settled on Taiyou, “Though I’ll admit to some surprise. I wouldn’t have thought someone so young would qualify.” Taiyou blinked up at him, shoulders squaring as he brought himself to as full a height as he could manage. “This _is_ a national-level tournament, isn’t it?”

“Asukawa-kun is a very skilled player,” Kazumi said, not sounding at all shaken, “He’s a former member of the United Sanctuary branch’s star team.”

“And since then, I’ve been heavily involved in my branch’s rebuilding and outreach,” Taiyou said. Chrono couldn’t help but admire the self-assurance he spoke with. Maybe Taiyou rehearsed it... maybe he should’ve done the same. “Furthermore, I plan to become the Branch Chief when I’m old enough. Winning this tournament should put me right on track for that.”

“I see,” Onimaru said, and this time he did actually sound pleased, “I’m glad to see someone your age with actual ambition.” For some reason, Kazumi stiffened and glanced away. Chrono frowned a little when he caught that, but he couldn’t exactly ask about it right now. Especially when, before he knew it, Onimaru had started speaking to him too. “And you, Shindou. I hear you’re quite accomplished as well.”

“Ah, yes,” Chrono said, while trying to look as composed as his two teammates. He was never that great at that kind of thing, but they were supposed to impress this guy. He had to do his best. “My old team - we were the champions of G Quest last year. Undefeated.”

He nodded. “And what have you done since?”

“Since- well, I’ve been studying for the Clan Leader exam,” Chrono said, feeling a little more grounded talking about this, “I mean, I already qualify, it’s just a matter of passing-”

“Which you haven’t yet.”

“Ah... no, not yet,” Chrono couldn’t help but grimace when he remembered his first attempt, how he’d rushed into it almost right on the heels of Stride Gate, “It’s only held once a year, so I’m focusing on preparing as much as possible right now.”

“I see. That sounds like a prudent decision, then.” Onimaru offered the two of them a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Forgive my for sounding so suspicious. I was just worried about my son - he decided to arrange all of this so quickly, I worried he wasn’t being discerning enough with his choice of teammates. But you both seem like you’re taking this seriously.” He turned back to Kazumi, and said, “I’m glad you’ve learned how to pick your companions more wisely.”

Kazumi bowed his head slightly. “Of course. I’m happy to have assuaged your worries.”

There was a tension in the air Chrono could sense, but didn’t know what to do about. This guy wasn’t saying anything _that_ harsh, and his questions weren’t even particularly prying. But Kazumi’s reactions, his deferential tone and the way he was avoiding eye contact... it made Chrono feel protective. Like he wanted to stand up for him, even though there wasn’t anything really to stand up against.

And there was still that look in his dad’s eyes, just a little suspicious, almost like he was trying to find something to be upset about.

“So, Kazumi, do tell,” Onimaru said, “How did you convince two such players to join your team?”

That caught Kazumi by surprise. He blinked, shoulders tensing a little. “My-”

“That’s what you told me you planned to do, wasn’t it? Form a team for this tournament on your own. With two members who have such clear plans for themselves, I’m eager to hear how you talked them into entering with you. It must have been quite a challenge.”

“I-” Kazumi glanced over at Chrono, and then at Taiyou, and stumbled a bit as he started to say, “I didn’t say-”

“He didn’t have to do much convincing on my behalf,” Taiyou interrupted with a polite smile, “Please don’t worry about that. I was having trouble finding teammates myself when he offered me a spot.” Onimaru looked a little surprised at Taiyou’s input, and Kazumi seemed like he didn’t quite dare to move. “As you can probably guess, a lot of people underestimate me because of my age. So really, I’m very thankful Kazumi-san gave me this opportunity.”

Okay, this much of a hint, Chrono could pick up just fine. “Yeah, and to be honest, I wasn’t even planning to enter before he convinced me it might help me prepare for the exam.” He gave Kazumi a grin. “If it pays off, I’m definitely gonna owe him one.”

“Of- of course not, you don’t owe my anything,” Kazumi said, before steadying and playing along, “I’m just grateful you both agreed to take a chance on me when I don’t have any prior experience.” He didn’t quite relax, but it at least looked like he knew what he was doing now when he turned back to his father. “In any case, it’s a simple enough matter of give-and-take. I didn’t have to twist anyone’s arm, if you’re worried about that.”

For a long moment, Onimaru didn’t say anything. Then, suddenly, he gave Kazumi a pat on the shoulder. “Indeed, you’ve done quite well for yourself with them. I’m glad.” His voice hadn’t changed at all, but the way he was standing, close and leaning just over Kazumi, made Chrono want to get between them somehow. “Just remember that it wasn’t easy to arrange this much time for you. I’d hate to see it wasted.”

But Kazumi just nodded again. “Yes, I know. I’m very grateful for all you’ve done, Father.”

After a moment, Onimaru pulled away from him and looked back over at the other two. “I’ll be looking forward to hearing about your accomplishments. Best of luck in the tournament.”

“Thank you, sir,” Taiyou said, though Chrono couldn’t quite find it in him to do the same and settled for what he hoped looked like a polite nod.

That seemed to be his dismissal, anyway, from how the guy didn’t say anything else. Sure enough, Kazumi turned to them and said, “I’ll show you both out. Right this way.”

Again, there was that tense, awkward silence as the three of them made their way through the halls. This time, Kazumi didn’t stop at the front door, but led them all the way outside past the gate through the rest of the property, all the way out to the sidewalk. It wasn’t until they finally reached it that he let out a slow, rattling breath and said, with his head down, “Thank you for saying all of that to him. I’m sorry to make you both lie like that...”

“C’mon, you didn’t make us do anything,” Chrono said, giving him a firm pat on the back, “It’s normal to back your friends up when they need it.” Kazumi paused and turned to him with a slightly stunned look, but Chrono had no idea why. Maybe he didn’t like being touched like that? He pulled his hand back and changed the subject. “Still, that guy... sounds like he’s got pretty high expectations for you.”

“Yes, well...” Kazumi trailed off, then finished with, “He has a right. I am his heir.”

Chrono snorted a little. “Well, ‘right’ or not, it’s gotta get frustrating.” Kazumi didn’t try to deny that one. Chrono softened and rubbed the back of his neck while he admitted, “And it’s not exactly the same, but... I do know something about having a frustrating parent.” To put it mildly. “So if you ever want to vent, feel free, okay?”

“That’s right, Kazumi-san,” Taiyou said, smiling. “After all, you agreed to help us out with whatever comes up, right? It’s only fair we repay the favor.”

Still holding himself very tightly, Kazumi just managed a smile and said, “Thank you both... I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

Not exactly the most encouraging thing he could’ve said. And Kazumi still looked... not scared, exactly, but tense. And definitely not very happy to be seeing them off right now. Chrono really didn’t like seeing him like this. If staying longer wouldn’t work, was there something else he could do to cheer Kazumi up? Then, finally hit with an idea, Chrono turned to Taiyou and said, “Hey, what day does the U20 start again?”

“Next Sunday.”

“Right, thought so. Then, Kazumi, next Saturday we should all have dinner at my place. We can do some last minute practice before the tournament.”

“Eh...” Kazumi blinked, then started to turn a little pink and tried to say, “That’s- I couldn’t possibly intrude like that-”

“You’re not intruding, you’re being invited,” Taiyou said, a light teasing in his voice, “And I think it’s a great idea. It’d be your first time trying Chrono’s cooking, right? You don’t want to miss that.”

For some reason, that made the pink in Kazumi’s cheeks turn bright red. Chrono hadn’t seen him look like this since their first meeting. “Um,” he managed, before coughing lightly into his hand and trying again, “If... it’s really no trouble... then I’ll ask if I can come.”

“Just say it’s practice, and you shouldn’t have a problem. He approves of us now, after all,” Chrono pointed out with a grin. If he thought he could get away with whisking Kazumi off right now, he would, but that’d probably do more harm than good. But he couldn’t just leave Kazumi here looking like that either. At the very least, he wanted to make sure Kazumi had something to look forward to.

 

* * *

 

The day of the tournament, everything seemed to be going fine. It was a good idea, Chrono thought again, to spend time together right before. This was Kazumi’s first tournament, and whatever might wind up happening, Chrono really wanted him to enjoy himself while he could. Plus, it had been fun to cook for him. Cooking was always something he enjoyed, no matter who it was for, but Kazumi had nothing but compliments for everything he tried, and he wanted to try everything. It made Chrono want to cook for him more often... maybe he could bring a bento for the three of them one of these days...

Then the announcer started speaking and welcoming all the participants, and Chrono shook his head and tried to focus on what was actually happening. A bunch of popular players were called out to hype up the crowd, their images flashing on a set of screens. Chrono had to admit, it was kind of exciting seeing Tokoha and Shion with their own teams. He hoped that they’d get a chance to face each other at least once - that wouldn’t get in the way of investigating, right?

“And Chrono Shindou, entering with his own team, Team Ogre!” The screen flickered to the three of them, and Chrono noticed an awkward edge to Kazumi’s smile when the team name was called out. But it helped give the impression Kazumi was the ‘leader’ and if that kept his dad off his back, then Chrono was all for it.

“And let’s not forget our returning finalists,” the guy called out next, “Gaily Kurt is back and brought a new team with her! Will she be able to take her revenge this time and claim the championship?”

If she was a finalist last year, she must be strong. Someone to keep an eye on then, Chrono thought as he took a close look at her. On the screen, a girl with long magenta hair stood, proud but somewhat distant. She’d look almost regal if not for the weird hat with all the tassles. At her side stood what looked like a middle schooler, and an older boy with a white streak in his dark hair.

Beside him, Kazumi gasped. Chrono turned to ask him if he knew her, but was surprised into speechlessness by how pale Kazumi’s face was and his wide, panicked eyes.

“Hey,” Chrono said, trying to not to sound too alarmed when he whispered, “Are you okay?”

Kazumi’s eyes jumped to him, like he’d forgotten anyone was even there. “I...” He stared back up at the screen again, and then just said, “I’m sorry, I just... excuse me a moment.” Then he turned and ran off, slinking into the darkness away from the spotlights. A couple of other players glanced his way, but no one stopped him.

Chrono caught Taiyou’s eye, and the younger boy said, “I’ll stay here and get all the rules, don’t worry. Hurry and go after him.”

“Thanks,” Chrono said, with a small smile. Taiyou definitely knew him well. Quickly, so as not to lose track of which direction Kazumi had gone, Chrono tried to follow after him.

Fortunately, there was only one door in that direction, and it led to a straight hall. After a few minutes of looking around pillars, Chrono managed to find Kazumi crouched against one of the walls, head buried in his arms. “Kazumi,” Chrono said, trying to be quiet and not sound as alarmed as he felt, “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

Kazumi flinched, tightened his hold around himself... and then carefully lifted his head. His eyes looked a little red, but they were dry. “I’m sorry. Really. I’ll come back in in just a minute, once I’ve gotten ahold of myself-”

“Look, don’t worry about that right now,” Chrono said, sitting down next to him, “Just talk to me. Do you know that girl?”

“N-no, not her, but...” Kazumi’s mouth kept moving, but nothing else would come out. His whole face was tight enough it looked like it might break apart with just a touch. Swallowing, he turned to Chrono and asked, “If... if I tell you, do you promise you won’t say anything to anyone else?”

Chrono blinked. “What?”

“Please,” Kazumi begged, his fingers digging deep enough into his own arms Chrono almost winced in sympathy, “No one’s supposed to know. It... it can’t be spread around.”

“...Okay,” Chrono said, deciding any complications this might cause came second to hearing Kazumi out right now, “I won’t tell anyone. Whatever’s going on is safe with me.”

That seemed to help Kazumi relax a little, but it was still a few more seconds before he let out a shaky breath and finally started to say, “That boy... on the team they mentioned. The older one. H-He’s my...” The rest seemed to catch in Kazumi’s throat, and he had to bury his head back into his arms again before he could force out a choked and muffled, “My big brother.”

“Oh... oh, damn.” Chrono did some quick thinking. The guy sure hadn’t looked like he belonged in the stuffy household the Onimaru seemed to be - his clothes had been scuffed and torn, and looked way cheaper than the kinds of things Kazumi wore. Not to mention he was obviously older, but Kazumi was the one named heir. And ‘no one was supposed to know’... carefully, Chrono started to ask, “So, when you say ‘brother’...”

“Half-brother, technically.” The tight, worrying pitch to Kazumi voice seemed to have broken with the admission into something quiet and limp. “And he was disinherited years ago. I haven’t... seen him at all since then.” Kazumi started to shake a little. Was he crying? Chrono couldn’t see, and his voice was too muffled to really tell. “I never... _never_ thought I’d see him here...”

That was a lot to process, and a part of Chrono was already dreading ever having to see Kazumi’s dad in person again, knowing all of this. But that could all wait - Kazumi himself couldn’t. “Is this bad?” Chrono asked, “Like, was he a jerk to you or something?”

Right away, Kazumi looked up. He _was_ crying, Chrono realized, alarm and protectiveness both welling in him at the sight. “No! Never,” Kazumi insisted, then started rubbing at his eyes, “He was v-very nice to me. Always, no matter what...”

“Okay,” Chrono said, trying to soften his voice again. He put a hand on Kazumi’s back, wanting to offer more reassurance than just words. “That’s good then, isn’t it? You’ve got another chance to see him now.”

Kazumi paused, but he didn’t move away or try to hide himself again. He just said, very quietly, “I... don’t think he wants to see me.”

“Huh? You just said he was always nice to you.”

“Yes, but... that’s because _he’s_ nice.” He sniffed a little, and rubbed at his eyes again. “But I was always a nuisance to him, and I caused him so many problems, without even realizing... there’s no way he’ll be happy to see me again now.”

That... didn’t seem to add up to Chrono. “Did he ever say that to you?”

“He didn’t have to. I figured it out on my own, eventually.”

Chrono frowned a little. “I mean, I don’t know the guy, but if he’s really as nice as you say he is, it’s hard to imagine he’d see you like that. I mean, you must’ve been pretty young when you last saw him, right?” Kazumi paused and didn’t answer, seeming to need a minute for the idea to sink in. Chrono leaned back against the wall, pulling his hand away from Kazumi to push some bangs out of his face, “Look, I do get it, y’know? It’s... really easy to feel like a burden to someone you care about. Way too easy.” Even now, there was still a reflex in him that strove to not be a bother to Mikuru. To make things as easy for her as possible. He shook his head. “But that’s still just how _you’re_ seeing it. You haven’t even asked him if it’s how he felt yet.”

“...Maybe,” Kazumi said, soft but not very convinced, “But maybe it doesn’t matter. I still got in his way so many times, I made things so much harder for him... everything I did wound up hurting him. That’s not a matter of interpretation, it’s what happened.” He leaned against the pillar next to him, eyes almost vacant. “I just don’t want to hurt him, ever again.”

Chrono looked at the boy next to him, at the tears starting to well back up in his eyes again, and had to ask, “Then, what do you want to do? Do you want to leave?” Kazumi didn’t move, not even to breathe. “Listen, it’s okay if you do. Shion and Tokoha are here, they can look into things fine on their own. I can come up with some excuse for bailing to keep anyone from thinking it was about you.”

But after only a few seconds of thought, Kazumi sighed and shook his head. “No. I’m very thankful for your concern, but... I have no intention of causing you any problems either.”

“It’s not a problem. I don’t want you to get hurt by this either.”

Kazumi just shook his head again, even more firmly this time. “Thank you, really, but it’s alright.” Then he smiled, though it still wasn’t that cheerful. “I mean, you are right, I should try to talk to him while I have the chance.” He looked down, lacing his fingers over his knees. “At the very least... I really do want to apologize to him.”

And despite his own trepidation, Chrono wound up smiling a little at that too. He really hoped Kazumi was right, and that his brother really was as nice as he thought. If this all ended in a big happy reunion, then that’d be the best outcome. “Okay. If that’s what you wanna do, I’ll have your back the whole time.” And then, on impulse, he reached over and pet Kazumi’s head. Maybe that was a little weird, but he was so used to looking up at Kazumi. Right now, he felt small and... within reach, in a way he didn’t usually. “Though we should probably let Taiyou in on this too. We are a team, after all.”

Kazumi turned pink again, but by now Chrono felt less awkward about that. He actually thought it was kind of cute. And his smile looked more honest now too, which was even better. “Yes... of course, you’re right. He should know too.” Still blushing lightly, he turned to look at Chrono and said, ”Really, thank you so much Chrono-kun. I’m glad I’m here with you.”

“Me too,” Chrono said, “I’m glad you’re with us.” He didn’t - couldn’t - know whether Kazumi’s fear or admiration of his brother was correct. But he wasn’t gonna let Kazumi find out alone. That much he could be sure of.


End file.
